Kate Silverton Instagram – I’ll be on @thismorning tomorrow to discuss #screentime #smartphone and hearing how the principal of St Patrick’s national School in Greystones, County Wicklow has introduced a voluntary ‘ban’ on smartphones for children under 12. @guardian she explained how she had reached out to parents having witnessed a growing concern among parents and teachers about the levels of anxiety among young children. She said ‘We felt we needed to take action, prompting all eight primary schools in the Greystones and Delgany area to jointly establish the It Takes A Village initiative, born out of a deep-rooted commitment to ensure the wellbeing of our children’
She added that ‘we realised childhood seems to be getting shorter and shorter. Children as young as nine years old were requesting smartphones and feeling pressure from other children to have access to apps and be constantly online. It was evident that these children were not emotionally ready to navigate the complexities of these devices and the digital world. The anxieties arising from early exposure to adult content online were becoming palpable and, as a community, we knew we had to act’
I fully support the movement that is fast gaining ground with psychologists like @jonathanhaidt and parent groups @delaysmartphones @smartphonefreechildhood @usforthemuk who are all calling for the government to act … something it now seems is being considered.
You can add your voice to the campaign – and do start by please leaving me your thoughts in the comments below .. I will be taking questions on This Morning tomorrow too .. hope to see you there
#smartphones #screentimealternatives #screentimeforkids #tech #smartphone | Posted on 10/Apr/2024 21:49:24
